1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector for interconnecting, for example, an electric power source and a piece of equipment, and which is particularly suitable for feeding a large amount of electric power to the equipment.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
As related prior art, there can be listed Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 59-27048. The invention disclosed in this Publication has the following construction. Six conductive strip materials having an equilateral hexagonal configuration in section are bundled together, by a spring band, in such a manner as to form a hollow member so as to form a socket. The arrangement is such than when a plug for a power source and a plug for a piece of equipment are inserted into the plug inserting hole defined by the hexagonal conductive strip materials under pressure from each side, the conductive strip material group is increased in diameter against a binding force of the spring band so as to permit the plugs to be inserted into the plug inserting hole under pressure from each side. At the same time, the respective conductive strip materials are contacted, under pressure, with the plugs by means of the binding force of the band, and when the plugs are withdrawn from each side of the plug inserting hole, the respective conductive strip materials are reduced in diameter by the binding force of the spring band.
The socket is comprised of a plurality of equilateral hexagonal conductive strip material units bundled into a hollow member, and the socket is limited to a six-split structure. In other words, the socket is designed such that it is difficult to increase the contact spots with the plugs by increasing the number of split portions (strips).
For the same reason, the external configuration of each socket is necessarily formed such that humps and valleys are arranged in turn. There is a fear that the conductive strip material group is one sided owing to the provision of the deep valleys, and is not properly increased or decreased in diameter. In addition, because of the structure having humps and valleys arranged in turn, the spring band is wound on the intermittently formed grooves. Accordingly, it becomes an unstable structure in which the binding force is intermittently exerted to the respective conductive strip materials. As a consequence, the valleys act as escape grooves for the conductive strip materials, and the conductive strip materials are easily one sided.
Furthermore, the above-mentioned conductive strip materials are formed by cutting a hexagonal deformed bar material into a predetermined size. The deformed bar material is very expensive. In addition, it is required to obtain a specially deformed bar material having an octagonal shape, or more sides in order to increase the number of splits of the socket. Therefore, it is not commercially practicable. As a result, the above-mentioned conventional product can not expect an increased split number.